On Average: Brookes and Bradleys
by babe7878
Summary: {PRNS} Sequel to On Average, Tori's abuse is over from him but someone new doesn't even know what she's doing hurts her, Tori's getting through it slowly.
1. Beginnings Again

_Disclaimer: Don't own them, didn't create them_

_Summary: Sequel to On Average, two couples, two children, what happens when you mix them together? If you haven't read On Average, it would make more sense of this story._

_Pairings: Dustin/OC, Tori/Hunter_

**Beginnings Again**

Two houses, two children, one a six-month-old named Kimberly Jane Brookes and a fourth and a half-month-old named Katie Alison Bradley. Brooke Brookes (I know, weird) lived with her new husband Dustin in his old house where Shane Clarke had once lived but moved out and went to tour with GMX.

Tori lay on the bed, half asleep, half awake, and occasionally moving to get more comfortable or warmer. Katie was quiet when she slept and Tori had very few nights when her and Hunter were awake because of her. She heard from Bob time to time but he never really let himself feel okay with the fact the he killed her first child. Tori forgave him instantly, she wouldn't hold a grudge against someone who didn't even know what he really did.

It was a Wednesday morning and Tori was still in bed at eleven in the morning. Katie asleep not far from the sprawled out blonde. Hunter left for work at eight, totally ignoring Tori as she was sleeping.

"I don't want to get up." Tori whined as she moved one last time before attempting to get up.

The baby just cooed. Tori sighed a bit, and let out a laugh. She knew the small baby would go back to sleep if left alone and that was her plan for a while.

Brooke entered Storm Chargers, hoping to find Dustin at work. He was one of the head mechanics, Hunter the other. She carried the baby in a plastic carrier and set her on the counter as she waited for Dustin to appear in the spot she could see.

"Dustin." Brooke whined out loud.

Instead of one of the guys, she got both to go to the counter. Dustin leaned forward on the counter and kissed the two girls.

"How's my family doing?" He joked.

"Just fine, I'm going to grab Tor and we're going to the park." Brooke stated.

"You might have to get her up." Hunter broke in.

"Hard night last night?" Brooke asked.

"I believe the correct word is...lazy." Hunter replied.

"Again dude?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to borrow the crier, maybe she'll do something to get Tor up earlier." Hunter laughed.

"Any night." Dustin replied also laughing.

"Men are pigs." Jen muttered.

"Oink." Dustin replied.


	2. Sleepyhead

**Sleepyhead**

Tori stepped out of the shower and got dressed. She finished pulling on her pants, the last thing she had to put on, just as the doorbell rang. Brooke stood in the peephole and Tori whipped it open and pulled her inside.

"Just let me brush my hair." Tori cut off Brooke before she could say anything.

"Okay." Brooke replied but Tori didn't hear her.

She ran into her room and grabbed her brush. She dressed the baby at the same time and set the little girl in her carrier. Tori brushed her teeth too and whipped on her shoes. Brooke smiled and the two grown up girls were off to the park.

"So, how's the nightlife?" Tori asked as the two girl walked down the road.

"Kill me please." Brooke joked.

"That bad, Katie sleeps right through, I didn't get up till eleven this morning." Tori grinned.

"I heard." Brooke laughed.

"Jealousy, he has to get up early to go to work, something I should really try sometime." Tori laughed.

"No way, if you can get away with it, why not?"

"Don't you work?"

"Not really." Brooke replied.

"What do you do anyway?" Tori asked.

"Me, I'm a manager of a store."

"Do you know what it's called?" Tori asked.

"No, I forgot." Brooke laughed.

"That's always good." Tori replied.


	3. Rough Times

**Rough Times**

Dustin sat outside of his employer. He was with a girl. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was awful pretty but no one knew who she was. They sat there on his lunch break and when it ended, the girl rode off on a shiny black motorcycle.

Dustin walked back into the back of Storm Chargers and began to work again. He was in the middle of fixing up a part on one bike when Hunter walked back in.

"Who was she dude?"

"My cousin from up north. It's like winter up there bro and she's on vacation down here in the warm state of California." Dustin answered.

"You're related to her?"

"I know, she's such a ditz." Dustin replied.

"Right." Hunter laughed.

"Do you think she's pretty?" Dustin asked.

"Oh yeah."

"Prettier than Tori?" Dustin grinned.

"No ones that pretty." Hunter replied. "It's impossible."

"Dude, you need a life." Dustin teased.

Hunter shrugged it off and went back to work. Dustin gave up and started on a different project.

Brooke's smile radiated across the park. She was happiest one there, next to Tori who had just woken up. Brooke had found a bench under a tree, which gave the girls some shade on the hot day it was.

"Do you let Hunter look at other girls?" Brooke asked.

"Let me put into perspective for you, if he ever cheated on me, I'd break his nose, then I'd put kick him in the stomach. After that, I'd yell so much, right in his ear, he'd be def. Then I'd kill him." Tori answered.

"Seriously?"

"No. That's gross. I would hope I'd never have to think about that." Tori smiled.

"Oh, cool."

"Why, is there something I should know?" Tori asked.

"No, just that Dustin's been spending time with this girl, I mean, she could be a friend and all but, he seems distant." Brooke sighed.

"Wow, that's tough."

"Maybe we should go, he'll be home soon and I want to talk to him." Brooke said.

"Okay."


	4. Confirmation

**Confirmation**

Brooke walked up to the front door of her house and unlocked it. She had been crying a bit on her way home from Tori's. Although Tori told her not to worry about it, something inside her wouldn't let it go. Her gut was telling her something wasn't right.

Brooke sat in the living room next to the baby on the couch. She was waiting for Dustin to come home at the time he said he got off. He never showed.

Tori on the other hand was asleep with her baby. She was on the bad and the baby was using her arm as its pillow. She woke up to the door shutting and turned around to the bedroom door and watched for any sign of life in the house. Katie still sleeping peacefully, Tori replaced her arm with the nearby pillow. She didn't get up but she rolled over.

"Hey." Tori smiled.

"Do you even have a job anymore?"

"I honestly don't know." Tori answered. "I think so."

"Maybe you should just ask." Hunter replied.

"I enjoy sleeping till noon, why would I give that up?"

"Because you're going to be living on the streets soon." Hunter joked.

"Are you joining me or what?"

"Me, oh, I'm moving into a bigger house when you move out." Hunter smirked.

"Who's going to take my place?" Tori asked.

"Dustin has a pretty nice looking cousin."

"Really?" Tori asked with pleading eyes. "You would do that to me, make me live life as a single mom, on the streets? I thought you loved me."

"Since when do you take me seriously?"

"Since today, Brooke's inside my head, thinking stuff that would never happen, like you cheating on me."

"That would never happen." He laughed.

The little girl beside Tori began to cry. She was picked up immediately by Tori. Tori sat up and rocked Katie back to sleep.

"How'd you do that?" Hunter asked.

"Lucky guess." Tori replied and the phone began to ring.

"I got it."

Tori giggled a bit as Hunter turned around and left the room. She walked into the baby's room and set the now sleeping Katie into her crib, which was, purple. A mix of blue and crimson seeing as pink made Tori want to throw up.

"It's for you!" Hunter yelled from the kitchen.

Tori jumped up off the bed, leaving the little sleeping girl on the pillow behind. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the phone from Hunter.

"Hello?"


	5. Horrible Nightmare

**Horrible Nightmare**

"Hi, Tor, I need your help." Brooke's voice sounded into the phone.

"Help, okay." Tori replied.

Tori watched as Hunter disappeared into the bedroom. She waited for the nervous girl on the other end to speak. Why would Brooke need her help?

"Do you think Dustin's cheating on me?" She blurted out.

"Why would he do that?" Tori asked.

"He's not home yet and he got off a couple hours ago." Brooke stated.

"Hold on, let me just ask someone something."

Tori put the phone on the table and looked at it for a few seconds. She paused and wandered into her bedroom. Hunter was sitting with Katie on the bed.

"Do you happen to know where Dustin is?" Tori asked.

"Out with some chick." Hunter replied. "Why?"

"Some chick?" Tori asked.

"Some-"

Tori turned around immediately and ripped up the phone. She breathed and calmed herself down.

"Worst nightmare come true." Tori stated.

She could hear Brooke's sobs on the other end. She felt bad and just listened to her. She looked around the room and went to hold her baby.

"It's okay honey, I'm coming to get you." Tori said as she leaned against Hunter and Katie.

"How long?"

"Five minutes okay?" Tori asked.

"Alright, see you in five. Bye." Brooke hung up.

"What did she want?" Hunter asked as Tori sat up strait.

"Dustin's not home, and you said he was out with some girl." Tori stated as if Hunter was a dimwit.

"Some girl, his cousin is some girl." Hunter retorted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tori asked with disbelief.

"I tried but you left." Hunter chuckled.

"I'll be back in a bit, I have to go pick up some other girl." Tori joked angrily.


	6. Patience Is A Virtue

**Patience Is A Virtue**

Tori ran out of the house and jumped into the truck parked in the driveway. She sped down the road and in five minutes, just like she said, she pulled into Brooke's driveway where Brooke was found waiting on her front step.

She was clutching a glass bottle in one hand and the baby carrier in the other. Tori turned the car off and walked up to the front step where Brooke looked up at her, eyes red.

"Hey Tori." She said, struggling to speak.

"Brooke, are you drunk?"

"No, just had a few beers." Brooke grinned.

"How many is a few?" Tori asked as she went for the baby.

Brooke saw this move and pushed Tori back, making her fall onto her butt and scrape her hands. Tori glared at Brooke with watery eyes. She grabbed the baby but not before Brooke slapped her in the arm, hard, and Tori fled the house without Brooke.

Tori backed out furiously. Her memories flooded back into her head.

_"You are so ungrateful." He muttered as he turned his hand into a fist.  
  
"I'm sorry!" She cried, trying to get through to him. "I didn't mean to do anything, it's not my fault."  
  
"So it's my fault?" He asked, stumbling with his balance.  
  
"Of course not." Tori whispered._

It was the night just a few days before he killed himself. She remembered trying to prove to someone he was beating on her but that someone wasn't listening. That someone now listened to everything she said.

_"Drunk, are you sure this is the same Blake we know?" Dustin asked.  
  
"Of course, he's just stressed and stuff." Tori answered.  
  
"No way, Blake would never do this." Hunter argued.  
  
"As much as you don't want to believe it bro, there's proof, even if he is your brother and you think he would never do anything like that, people change." Shane retorted._

Tori sped away from Brooke's house, letting a few tears fall from her hurting eyes. Blake hung in the kitchen a year ago, dead from what was supposed to be her noose. It was all burned into her head. That horror always got to her, she hated seeing him like that. It was not the way he should've died, he should've died valiantly at old age.

Tori wiped her eyes once more before getting out of the truck. She picked up the six-month-old and almost ran into the house. The door was unlocked so she just whipped it open, set the baby on the couch next to Hunter and dashed for her room.

He could hear her sobs and stood up slowly. She was crying into a pillow when he stepped into the room.

"Didn't go to well?" Hunter asked.

Tori rolled over, taking her head out of the pillow. Her face was soaking wet from the tears and Hunter sat beside her.

_Someone outside the door heard her wince and rushed to her side. It was the one person who did not believe she was abused. Tori sat up and looked at Hunter.  
_  
_"Not exactly the way I thought you'd prove it to me." He tried to joke but the mood in the room would not allow it.  
  
"Is he...?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat beside Hunter. He was not looking at her but she was watching his every move.  
  
"It's not your fault you know." Tori stated.  
  
"I'm sorry."_

Tori looked around the room, watching for any differences from that night. She found one, Hunter was a different person.

"I went to get her and when I got out of the truck, she had a beer in one hand and Kimmy in the other." Tori started.

"Did she hurt you?" Hunter asked immediately.


	7. Memories

**Memories**

Tori held out her scraped hands, they weren't bleeding or anything but the top layer of skin was peeling.

"She pushed me down." Tori gulped. "Like Blake."

"I'm sure she didn't mean to."

"She doesn't know." Tori replied.

"You never told her?" Hunter asked shocked.

"No...is it so bad that I didn't want to tell her because it would always make me feel guilty. I hung that rope there, he wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for me." Tori answered.

"It was his choice, not your fault. You were there for him, I was too, it's not like he didn't have anybody." Hunter reassured her.

Tori leaned against him and held back her tears. It wasn't worth crying over but she was scared, she had lost one friend to drinking, she didn't want to lose another. Brooke was her only female friend.

"I thought I was over it but I'm not." Tori stated.

"It's in the back of everyone's mind. No one will ever get over it. He was my brother, a friend to everyone and your boyfriend for the first part then he was your abuser." Hunter said.

"Did I ever tell you why I'm alone?" Tori asked.

"Nope."

"My mom and dad were hit by a drunk driver. They didn't die on impact but their injuries were so bad they died a day later in the hospital, in the room next to the drunk driver who hit them. Her name was Gabby McPherson. She was my babysitter when I was little and no one ever expected her to break the law for anything." Tori explained.

When she had finished, she fell back into the pillows at the top of her bed. She didn't bury her face in them but she did let a tear fall from her eyes. The memory of her parents was saddening. She was only four years old, she didn't understand that she would not be returning home with her mother until she was older.

"That's when I was sent to live with my Uncle Tyler. He was single, my aunt died from cancer like a year before. I didn't have to watch that." Tori continued.

"I was fourteen when my parents died." Hunter stated.

"I thought that Blake was the adopted one?"

"Not exactly, he was but I was too. One of my distant relatives adopted us both. My mom went crazy and died after my dad tried to snap her out of it. He committed suicide, thinking it was his fault my mother went crazy and died." Hunter explained.

"Do you think Brooke's okay?" Tori asked, stopping the tears.


	8. Brooke

**Brooke**

Brooke sat on her front step, half passed out, barely conscious. She was drunk, after a few more beers since Tori 'kidnapped' (as Brooke thought of it) her baby. Brooke was out of her mind drunk, everyone seemed to think it was wrong to drink. Her small body couldn't take all the alcohol and was probably drunk when she called Tori.

Dustin hadn't really been cheating on her; he was helping out a cousin who was happily married, like Dustin thought. He had no idea what he did wrong but when he arrived home and found Brooke passed out on the welcome mat, he began to worry. He shook her violently, hoping she wasn't dead or anything drastic.

Her eyes opened up a bit and she groaned, and tried to roll over. Her success was that of none. Her body laid in the sunshine, overheating and not functioning properly. Dustin rolled her over and leaned down a few inches from her head. She coughed in his ear and scratched her nose.

"What happened to you?" Dustin asked.

"Who's your new girlfriend?" Brooke asked.

"She was my cousin, how'd you know?"

"Tori told me, probably got it from Hunter." Brooke said through hiccups.

"Are you drunk?" Dustin asked furiously.

"Why does everyone get mad at me for being a drunk, Tori already kidnapped our baby and now you, thinking it's so bad." Brooke argued.

"You want to know why Tori ran away with Kimberly? Her parents died because someone was stupid enough to drive drunk and her ex-boyfriend Blake, use to abuse her when he came home drunk and he finally killed himself on a noose that Tori was going to use to kill herself because he hurt her so much." Dustin exclaimed.

"Poor..." Hiccup. "Baby."

She passed out immediately. It was her head, it hurt more than words can explain. Dustin rolled her over and carried into the house and set her on the bed. She didn't move a muscle.

Dustin picked up the nearest portable phone and dialed Tori's number. He had to talk to her, tell her Brooke didn't mean too and it was a mistake. But he didn't know if it was. It wouldn't be right to say that she didn't mean it when she might have meant it.

He dialed the number anyways; hoping to see what Brooke did to her and what she did back. Hunter answered the phone and immediately put Tori on.

"Hello?" Tori asked.

"Hey, it's Dustin, are you okay?"

"Fine, why?"

"Heard about you and Brooke, did she hurt you?" Dustin questioned.

"No, just scraped my hands a bit, might have a bruise on my arm but nothing compared to what Blake used to do." Tori let out a sigh.

"Well, I'll call you when she wakes up, maybe you can tell her why you acted the way you did towards her. She doesn't know does she?"

"No." Tori simply answered.

"It's probably better if she hears the whole story rather than my version, you were the main character and you know what happened. Hope you feel okay, she was passed out on the front step when I got home." Dustin replied.

"She was drunk on the front steps when I went over to pick her up."

"Pick her up, what?" Dustin asked.

"She was mad at you because she thought you were cheating on her but then Hunter said it was your cousin after telling me it was some chick so I went to get her so she wouldn't have to be alone but she was drunk so I took Kimberly and left because I didn't want her to end up like I was with Blake." Tori answered in explanation.

"You know, if I could take it all back for her, I would."

"I know, it's okay, I mean, cheating is a big impact. I would probably be more than drunk." Tori joked. "Like angry, first degree murder comes to mind."

"Really?" Dustin asked nervously.

"If it scares you guys then yeah but you know I would never..."

"I'm starting to change my mind, dude, you can get pretty nasty." Dustin laughed.

"Thanks." Tori giggled slightly.

"Okay so when do I get Kimberly back?" Dustin asked jokingly.

Tori remembered the six month old. She had taken her, not even knowing what she was going to do with her when she saved her.

"You know what, you can have her now, you just got to come get her because I don't feel like moving from this spot in the living room and to ask Hunter would mean either yelling or moving so yeah." Tori replied seriously.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." Dustin laughed a bit.

"Bye." Tori stated and hung up.

She didn't move from the spot she was standing on. She didn't want to, considering she was standing up, she was quite comfortable. The couch was only a few steps away, if she jumped, she could probably land on it.

Her mind was all over the place, looking around the room at the different distances of things. She wanted to move but didn't, she needed to relax and by standing in the room, she was quite relaxed.

"Wow." She muttered.

"What's wow?" Hunter asked.

"Dustin's coming over to get Kim because I said I didn't want to move." Tori laughed.

"You're such a lazy bum."

"It's working though." Tori replied.


	9. Standing Still

**Standing Still**

Tori debated whether to move or stand in the middle of the living room waiting for something to make her move. It was decided when Hunter pushed her on the shoulder, causing her to move sideways.

"Hey." She whined.

"Oops, I slipped."

"Yeah right." Tori muttered.

"So?"

"I hate you." Tori smiled.

"You know, there's a club for that." Hunter replied.

"I know I'm president." Tori grinned. "Which reminds me, I should send out that newsletter soon."

"What's it going to say?" Hunter asked.

Tori thought for a minute, trying to think of a good reply but only stumped herself whenever she tried to say something. Finally her brain began to work again and she replied.

"Stuff about how much people underestimate you."

"Like you?"

"No...maybe, yeah." Tori smiled. "No."

"You should learn how to lie a bit better."

"You taught me." She retorted.

"Yeah, I also taught you how to ride but we all know how that turned out." Hunter laughed.

"You're just like a bad winner and loser." Tori muttered.

"You're point?"

"None just stating facts. You coming with me, I'm going to talk to Brooke later, which is probably a waste of time. Hey I'll call Dustin and tell him I'll take her back. But that's work, I don't want to do work, will you do it?"

She gave him the puppy dog eyes and he laughed as he picked up the phone. He dialed the number and caught Dustin before he headed out the door. Hunter explained everything and then Hunter put Tori on. She took the phone and whined. Hunter rolled his eyes at her laziness and watched as she paced the room, practically yelling at the phone. She hung up and glared at Hunter.

"I have to drive all the way over there now." She shot at him.

"Take a cab." He joked.

"I have my own cab driver, his name is Hunter, please?"

"Maybe Dustin will go riding with me."

Tori grabbed the little girl and her coat as she walked out the door. She climbed into the truck and set the carrier on her lap. She jumped out of the car and grabbed her own girl from the house and gave Hunter an innocent look as she walked by.

"Don't mention this, ever." She pleaded.

"Only because you gave me the look."

"Powerful yet married, didn't know there was such a thing." Tori stated proudly as she strapped the two carriers in the tiny back seat.


	10. Running Fast

**Running Fast**

Dustin stood at the door and waited for his friend to show up. It was like a bad dream when they didn't show up within the first few minutes, he got worried. His worries washed away as the familiar truck pulled into the black driveway.

"HEY!" He shouted happily, especially when he took Kim back and smiled.

"Good to see you to bro." Hunter gave him a high five.

"Long time so see." Tori smiled, handing Katie over to Hunter and walking towards the front door.

"She's half asleep, on the bed." Dustin added.

Tori nodded and peered in through the front door. She crept down the hall and up the stairs towards the bedroom. She popped her head through the door and watched for a minute. Brooke looked so peaceful, sleeping.

Tori walked in and sat on the bed beside her. Tori took Brooke's shoulders and shook her awake. Brooke groaned and sat up, face to face with Tori.

"Hey." Brooke said quietly.

"I just wanted you to know, I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who should be sorry, I mean if I knew you would hate me because I pushed you, I wouldn't have pushed you."

"It's my fault, I got scared when you hurt me because..." Tori hesitated. "My old boyfriend used to beat me up when he came home drunk. He thought I was useless or something and every night he would come home after drinking with Bob, you know him, and then make me feel bad for everything. Then one day after I tried to tell this guy, he didn't believe me, about it and he ended up saving me from myself. I wanted to just die, get myself out of the real world. When he came home that night, I took everything he threw out at me and then, when I was about to hang myself, the guy I was talking to saved me. He was too slow to help my old boyfriend, he used my noose and killed himself."

"Wow, so what happened to your 'Knight in Shining Armour', did he just disappear?"

"No, but let me finish. A few nights later at the guy's house, Bob came in and beat me up. I was unconscious for a few days, I think it was about three, and when I woke up, I was hurting. I looked at my stomach and there was like a cast or something. Bob killed my baby." Tori concluded.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" Brooke started to cry.

"I'm fine, but my 'Knight In Shining Armour' lost his brother that night. Ever since then, I can't stop thinking about him."

"Have you been cheating on Hunter?" Brooke asked rudely.

"Here's the part you're missing, he was the guy who saved me, Blake died that night." Tori replied.

Brooke just stared at the blonde in front of her. She let a few more tears fall from her welled-up eyes. Tori started crying too as they hugged each other. Eventually Dustin and Hunter walked into the room with Kim and Katie. Brooke ran towards Kim and pried her out of the carrier. Tori smiled at the happy picture then she smiled at Dustin. He returned the smile.

"Want to go home now?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, yeah I do." She smiled.


	11. Slowing Down

**Slowing Down**

"Knight in Shining Armour?" Hunter asked jokingly.

They were walking out to the truck and Tori pushed him a bit the other way. She snickered and popped Katie in the back.

"Sir Brags-A-Lot." Tori muttered with a smile.

"Heard that."

"Sorry." She replied.

"Anything Princess Complainer."

"I do not complain...that much...anymore." Tori retorted.

"Sure...sure. And I am not protective anymore." Hunter joked.

"Protective of who because the only person you should be protecting is yourself, remember, you go to sleep before me." Tori stated with a grin.

"But you also said you didn't want to be single mom."

"See, Sir Brags-A-Lot strikes again." Tori stated.

"And there you are complaining."

"I'm just stating the facts, you know what?"

"What?"

"What does Dustin see in her, I mean she's rude...sometimes, more intelligent than him and a whiner." Tori stated.

"Kind of reminds me of you." Hunter teased.

Tori gave him the look. The threatening look that only women can do. She held it for a few seconds then laughed. She walked towards him and he wrapped his arms around her, she giggled a bit.

"Will you still love me when I'm old and ugly?"

"I already do."

"You think I'm old and ugly?" She gave him the puppy dog face.

"No I just meant...I'm screwed aren't I?"

Brooke sat on her bed, waiting for Dustin to come back. He had run outside to try to catch Tori but he never seemed to return. She lied down on the pillow and closed her eyes, dreaming of a better place. She was asleep for a few minutes until Dustin came in and sat beside her.

"I think we should take a break." Dustin said cautiously.

"From what?" Brooke gulped.

"Us, you need to sort out some stuff right now, like trusting me and talking to me about this kind of thing." Dustin explained.

"What about K-"

"Kim's staying with me." He cut her off.

"Baby, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything." Brooke teared up. She was crying.

"I want you to at least talk to someone."

"Can't I talk to you?" She cried.

"I don't know if you'll listen back."

Tori jumped out of the truck and almost fell. She stepped in the puddle from the dip in the driveway. Her foot became slightly wet and she whined.

"Complaining again?" Hunter yelled from the other side of the truck.

"No." She sighed.

"I don't have a problem with it." He laughed and grabbed the kid.

"Do you think he'll actually do it?" She asked.

"Leave her, yeah, maybe, probably."

"That's not like him though, he doesn't usually lie." Tori bit her lip in thought and walked to the front door. She pushed on it, thinking it was locked but to her surprise I was open and standing in the front was none other than Shane.


	12. Back Home

**Back Home**

Shane grinned at her and the two ran towards each other. Tori jumped at him then when they were finished hugging, she dropped onto the floor. Hunter walked in afterwards too and they high-five, which is hard to do with one hand holding a baby. Tori grabbed Katie and walked into her room. She was sleeping and it was late. She walked back out.

"How's it been without yours truly?" Shane asked jokingly.

"Pretty good." Hunter joked.

"Oh, maybe you can talk some sense into Dustin, he's been acting weird lately." Tori interrupted.

"Tonight?" He asked.

"No, like tomorrow, are you hungry?" Tori smiled.

"Starved." Shane answered.

"Did you want me to throw a pizza in the oven?"

"Would you?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, are you hungry?"

"Always." Hunter retorted playfully.

"I can't read minds, you have to tell me these things." Tori stated.

Dustin sat beside Brooke with her face in his shirt. It was now wet and snotty from Brooke's tears. She didn't want him to leave her, not even for a second.

"Just tell me what I did?" She pleaded.

"Nothing besides got drunk, pushed Tor and thought I was cheating on you."

"I'm sorry, do you have to go?"

"I'll make you a deal, if you go to a retreat for the weekend and come back better, I'll act as if nothing happened, deal?"

She gulped and looked at him. "Deal."

Dustin tried to get up by she clung to him like he was a life raft in the middle of the ocean. He sighed and sat there the rest of the night until she fell asleep. He then got up and called the retreat place he had been looking at earlier. It was a place not far from Blue Bay but far enough that she couldn't run home.

Shane and Hunter were discussing future plans and Tori used this time to think. The thought of not seeing Brooke haunted her mind. Brooke was the only girl left in her life and she didn't want to lose that. Shane looked at Tori and waved a hand in front of her face. She moved slightly.

"Huh?" She half asked.

"Man this whole Brooke thing is really getting to you." Hunter stated.

"I've been thinking, that's all."

"Whoa, you ever wonder what life would be like if Blake never...you know?" Shane asked.

"All the time." Tori sighed.

"Are you not happy with me?" Hunter joked.

"No, I mean yeah but he's gone forever, like not coming back. What would've happened to us if he didn't die? I mean, it's not like you believed me."

"Hey, at first." Hunter retorted. "I did save you."

"Would you ever do what Dustin did to Brooke to me?"

"She got you there bro." Shane laughed.

"I mean, I know I complain and I'm lazy and stuff but-"

"Why would you even think that?"

"Because it can happen."

"Look, this is me, the guy who, what's the word I'm looking for..."

"The guy who loves her?" Shane laughed.

"Not exactly the same meaning but yeah okay." Hunter laughed.

"I'm going to go to sleep now, seeing as you're laughing at me." Tori replied.

"We're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you." Shane joked.

"Which is funny because I'm not laughing." Tori stated with a grin.

"You're just not laughing yet." Shane retorted.

"What is it, like all men are pigs?" Tori asked.

"Not all, there is that rare one that's not." Hunter joked.

"Night." She replied with a roll of her eyes.


	13. Weirdness

**Weirdness**

Tori peered in at seven in the morning to make sure the baby was still sleeping. She was dressed and showered in the earliest she had ever been. She threw some eggs in a bowl and mixed them with milk and a few spices. After she set a pan on the stove, she poured the eggs in, watching them cook. In another pan she threw on some bacon and in the toaster she put a few pieces of toast. After a good ten minutes, she dropped eggs on two plates and put a couple pieces of bacon on the side. The toast sat on a smaller plate. She put a mug of coffee beside the plates on a tray and carried one in to Shane. He woke up and sat up, watching the food with excitement.

"For me?" He joked.

"Yeah, enjoy."

She smiled and walked out of the spare room, which used to be her room. It was nicely decorated although still with white walls. It was covered in pictures that Tori moved over from her old horror house. Pictures that her mom painted before she died. Tori practically skipped back into the kitchen, grabbed the other tray and debated whether to make herself some breakfast. She went against it and just carried the tray into her room and set it on the nightstand beside Hunter.

"Wake up, made you some brecky." Tori swatted at him.

"Huh?"

He rubbed his eyes and rolled over. She looked at him and silently laughed, the tray was set down beside him and she skipped back to the baby's room. The little girl was still sleeping but Tori still picked her up and carried her around the house, getting ready to call around for a place to hold a party.

Dustin paced around the house, waiting for the phone to ring. It was the place he called the night before about getting help. He stopped pacing when Brooke walked out a bit angry; she turned her glare into a smile. He smiled back, still awaiting the phone call. She went towards the kitchen when the phone finally decided to ring. Dustin ran to answer it and got there just before Brooke.

Brooke shrugged and walked into the kitchen. She set the six-month-old on the counter and pulled down a book she had hidden. She opened it and read a few pages and after smiling to herself, put it back. She didn't know but Dustin was watching from the other room. He had peeked around the doorframe and watched her every move. She turned around and he pulled away from the door.

"Brooke." He half yelled.

"Yeah babes." Brooke replied softly, holding Kim in her arms.

"I got you a spot at the retreat thing, are you going?"

"If it means that much to you, when is it?"

"This weekend, the bus leaves tomorrow night, it's a few hours."

"Okay, will you help me pack?" Brooke questioned.

He was about to answer when the phone rang once again. Dustin picked up the nearby phone and began to talk.

Tori watched as Shane talked to Dustin while pacing the room. He was excited to see his old friend but also a bit hyper. He had just eaten a couple sugar cubes and he could run for the next few days without growing tired. She giggled when he tripped over her outstretched foot. She was sitting on the floor in front of the couch with Katie behind her, sleeping on the couch.

Shane hung up the phone and continued to lie on the floor. He used it as a cover-up for why he tripped. He gave Tori the innocent look and she rolled her eyes with a smile. She bent over and stretched her arms towards the ends of her toes and then she sat up strait again.

"Heard about you and Sir-Brags-A-Lot last night." Shane started.

"Yeah." Tori shook her head.

"Lucky man he is." Shane complimented her. "To have you."

"Really?" She smiled.

"Yes, anyone who gets to go out with you is lucky, I mean, I used to think about asking you out but that was like when we thirteen. Not anymore." He grinned, turning a touching moment into a funny one.

"Really, I used to think of you too." She joked. "But more of a brother."

"Me, I was your brother?" He faked a sob.

"Drama Queen." Hunter remarked, laughing at the two.

"I guess it's better than being Sir-Brags-A-Lot or Princess Complainer." Shane stated.

"Look what you started." Tori shook her head. "Sir-Brags-A-Lot, meet Sir-No-Brains."

"How do you do fellow Knight?" Hunter bowed jokingly.

"Shut-up." Shane smiled.


	14. Not By Choice

**Not By Choice**

Brooke threw different clothes into an open suitcase. She was getting ready to go away for that night, staying in a hotel near the bus station. Dustin was wandering the house and debating whether or not he should look in her hidden book. It was on his mind ever since he saw her looking at it. It intrigued him, almost haunting him to the point of insanity. Well, not yet but if he left it much longer it would drive him nuts. He had to get his mind off of it and in relief, the baby girl started to cry. He called out to Brooke and ran into the nursery.

He picked up the little girl and told her to 'Calm down dude' and 'It's okay bro'. Brooke snickered in the other room as she barely heard him but made it out. She was going to miss him, even if it was only for a few days. She didn't want to hurt him anymore and she knew this one the only way to make him happier.

"Hey Dustin, are you sure you'll be okay with Kimmy for the week-end?" Brooke queried from the other room.

Dustin thought about it for a while and came to a conclusion. There was always someone to back him up and he knew it.

"Yeah, it's time for you to stop worrying."

"Are you sure?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, I got Tor and Shane and Hunter, I'm good." Dustin laughed at the thought of Shane with Kim.

Brooke folded the last shirt and wandered out of the room and into the baby's room. Dustin stood in the middle of the room with the baby in his arms. Brooke leaned into his shoulder and peered over it at the small baby. She didn't want to cry but it was coming out of her now. She let one tear fall from her eye and it was caught by the bright yellow of Dustin's shirt.

"I should go soon." She said, wiping the tear.

"Did you want me to drive you?" Dustin asked.

"Sure."

Dustin grabbed her suitcase and carried it out to the car. He put it in the trunk and walked back to grab Kim. Brooke moped as she got into the front seat, ready to go. The sun was starting to set and the sun cast an orange colour onto the horizon. Dustin walked back out of the house, locking it on the way, and climbed into the driver's side of the car. He turned the car on and Brooke watched his every move. It was a slow and silent drive with hardly any conversation. When the car pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, Dustin hopped out and hugged Brooke goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you babes." She said in his ear.

"Me too, stay happy." Dustin replied.

"I love you." She whispered as she let go and walked into the front door of the hotel.

Dustin turned and walked back to the car. He switched the baby from the backseat to the front seat and began the drive home. He was silent but halfway home, the child began to cry. He didn't know what to do, it was getting to him. It was his own kid and he didn't have a clue as of what to do. He turned off a road before he should've. It was the road to Tori's house. He drove furiously; the crying was drilling in his head. It was like a loud heartbeat. The longer it went on, the guiltier he felt. When he squealed into the driveway of the familiar house, he dashed to the front door with the screaming child and knocked hard. Tori appeared in the doorway seconds later.

"Can I help you stranger?" She smiled.

"Make it stop!" He screamed and held out the carrier with Kim in it.

Tori quickly pulled the baby out of the carrier and walked into the kitchen with her. Dustin caught a glimpse of the other two guys and went to relieve himself of the guilt. Tori quickly opened up a bottle and filled it with milk from the carton in the fridge. She then filled a mug with the same 2 milk and threw them both into the microwave. She walked out of the kitchen with the mug in one hand and the baby with the bottle in the other. Her hand extended down to Dustin and he took the mug.

"How did you do that?" He asked, taking a sip.

"We'll call it mommy intuition." She winked.

"She's not even your kid." Shane stated.

"Natural reaction?" Tori joked.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Hunter eyed her suspiciously. "Like, I don't know, paying late night visits to your best friends house?"

"That would explain sleeping 'til noon" Shane grinned.

"It's something my mom used to do when I was crying, okay, there's the secret." Tori confessed.

"I knew I could trust you." Hunter smirked.

"Yeah sure, are you okay with her now?"

"I can try dude." Dustin said like his old self.

"Why don't you guys go out for like a night on the town and I'll baby-sit?" Tori asked.

"Cool." Shane retorted.

"You're letting me go out?" Hunter asked.

"I'm in a good mood today, just don't do anything stupid okay?"

"Since when have I-"

"Yesterday." Tori cut him off. "Was the last time you did something stupid."


	15. Breakout

**Break-out**

Brooke wandered down the long hall to her room. 227, at the end of the burgundy hall. The door was a great wood colour and the number was gold. She stuck the key in and turned the knob. It opened with ease and she dropped her bags-and her mouth-when she saw the room. It was like a room out of a pop star magazine. The bed was huge and the window was wide. Dustin treated her so well; she knew it and she wanted to come home at the end of the weekend, ready to become someone better.

Tori wandered up to Dustin's house with her key in hand. She unlocked the door and glanced back at the truck in the driveway. With that she unlocked the door and wandered inside. She walked into the kitchen and pulled down the same book Brooke was looking at earlier. Tori grabbed the pen from the binding and wrote after the last written page. When she was done, she closed the book, put the pen back and walked back outside to the truck.

The three guys sat at a table in the back of a coffee shop. Dustin was off in space, thinking about Brooke and Kim. Shane waved his hand in front of his face and the two got into a mini fight.

"Man, you guys are horrible." Hunter joked.

"Really?" Shane turned to look at him but Dustin lightly hit his face back towards him.

"Better behaved than Tor I guess." He chuckled.

"You better pray to god we don't tell her you said that, bro." Dustin laughed.

"She can hit pretty hard." Shane grinned.

"But dude, we've known her since we were like four, wouldn't we be in more danger?" Dustin asked.

"Nah, she'll be sleeping when we get home anyway." Hunter replied.

"You're lucky dude." Dustin remarked.

"What?" Shane asked.

"I mean, Tor's not insanely jealous or like paranoid, at least not now anyway, how do you keep that?"

"Bro, it's called trust."

"So that's it, a five letter word?" Dustin queried.

"Then there's love, respect and communication." Hunter smirked.

"Anymore words I should know?" Dustin glared at him.

"Loyal, faithful uh, civil and, well trust basically sums it up."

"Great, now I have to memorize a dictionary." Dustin whined.

"I think you should be Princess Complainer." Shane joked.

"Dude, we should go, early day tomorrow." Dustin stated.

"Alright man, whatever." Shane smiled and stood up.

Tori stood in the living room, trying to get a hold of someone. She didn't and hung up, remaining in the living room with the phone in her hand. She threw the phone at the couch and stood there, contemplating what to do next. It had been a few minutes until the door actually opened and she whipped her head around to see.

"Standing again?" Hunter asked and pushed her over. "Not anymore."

"What did you do?" Tori asked.

"Coffee and talked." Shane answered.

"Yeah, I'll see you guys later." Dustin broke in. "Early morning."

"Okay, see you later." Tori yawned.

"Bye." He moped out of the house.

Dustin drove home quietly. He didn't even talk to Kim or make sure she was even asleep. There was no music and it was a colder night. He had the heat on but it didn't help much. He was cold from the inside. He missed Brooke.

The door opened easily and Dustin tucked Kim into her crib. He then walked into the kitchen and searched for the book he wanted to read so badly. It slipped out from the cupboard from beside a box of cereal and a box of baking soda. He heard it crack as he opened it and began to read.

It was hand written in many different styles-by many different people. There was Shane's writing, Hunter's, Tori's and Brooke's. He read each page and the dates. They were all about how great she was and how lucky she was to have a guy like Dustin. He whimpered and moped more to bed.


	16. Where Is He Now

**Where's Johnny?**

It was early the next morning and all that was heard outside the Brooke's residence as the screeching of tires and the frantic cries of Kim. She stopped when Dustin stroked her head and then he zipped down the road.

Brooke stood, waiting for the bus to open up and let them on; they were already ten minutes off schedule due to a councilor who couldn't get into his car. Brooke personally had found it funny but no one else was laughing. The doors to the bus finally opened and just as she was about to step on, Dustin called her name and ran towards her.

"Come on." He said.

"Where?" She asked.

"Home, come on." Dustin grabbed her hand.

"I'm kind of leaving." Brooke replied, confused.

"No, there's an emergency, Tori's...burnt." Dustin threw out at her.

"Okay, let's go."

Tori was in fact not burnt but he was sleeping. Sleeping on the floor seeing as had fallen off the bed a few minutes earlier and didn't feel like standing up. It was only five and she was quite tired in fact. She decided to get up and completely sit on Hunter when she flopped down.

"It wasn't me." She lied.

"Mihasknf."

She laughed at his use of words. They weren't English or French or anything at all. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep and the phone rang a couple hours later.

"Hello?" She whined.

"Hey Tor, uh, are you guys busy today?" Dustin asked.

"Hold on..._Hey buddy, you working today? No? Okay..._No, why?"

"Can you meet me in the park at noon?"

"Picnic?"

"Yeah, bring Shane too and Katie."

"Okay, park noon. See you later." Tori replied and hung up.

"Who was that?" Hunter asked.

"Guess you'll find out at noon." Tori replied.

He pushed her a bit and she fell off the bed. She burst out laughing and stood back up.

Dustin stood in the park at noon with Brooke and Kim in the car, waiting for someone out of the ordinary. She climbed out of the car when the other four pulled up. She ran over to the car and leaped at Tori when she opened her door.

"I thought you were-"

"Dustin came and got me this morning." Brooke smiled.

"Early morning?" Shane asked and patted Dustin on the back.

"How early?" Hunter questioned.

"Four, five between there." Dustin answered with a yawn.

"Hey, I was up then too." Tori laughed.

"No comment." Hunter added.

"Yeah so, I have to go to bathroom." Dustin announced.

"Me too." Shane added.

"You probably want to have a girls minute so I'll pretend I have to." Hunter joked.

"Yeah thanks." Tori replied sarcastically.

The three guys walked away towards the concession booth and disappeared behind the wall. Brooke carried Kim over to a bench and Tori followed suit. She sat on the table and Brooke sat on the bench part. They were going to talk about girl stuff but before either one could get a word, a few other girls walked past.

"Hey look, it's Blake's cheater." One snarled.

"Not good enough for you?" A second added.

"Tor, ignore them." Brooke whispered, sensing her uneasiness. "Hey, got a hold of yourself."

"Come on, don't like to roughed up?" The first one added one again.

"I'll show you roughed up." Tori muttered and turned around.

"Where's you ex's brother, he not good enough either?" The first one started it again.

"Hey, wait!" Brooke yelled. "TOR!"

Tori stormed over to them and stared the first girl in the eye. She stared back then sucker-punched Tori. She reached up and slapped the girls face, causing her to stumble backwards. She threw another punch then grabbed her shoulders and tried to force her down. Tori succeeded and the first girl was on the ground on her back. She darted upright and stood up. She threw a punch at Tori and gave he a bloody lip.

"He's not around to save you now is he?" She taunted.

Tori threw everything she had at the girl and she ended up sitting on her beating on her face. She was pulled backwards and she growled at Shane and Hunter. Dustin stood in front of the other girl and helped her up. Dustin apologized and the girl accepted.

"Oh look, he came." She laughed as the two girls walked away.

"What was that about?" Shane asked.

Tori fidgeted with her bleeding lip. She pushed on it and wiped the blood on her shirt.

"Yeah, should I know something?" Hunter asked.

Tori just stared at the empty path.

"She was bagging on you." Brooke answered.

"Me?" Hunter asked.

"I could've had her." Tori blurted out. "Why can't men take as long in the bathroom as we do?"

"Said something like uh, wait to cheat with his brother and stuff." Brooke ran towards Tori with a paper towel and dabbed at her lip.

"Who was that?" Shane asked.

"How should I know?" Tori retorted.

"You were beating up some girl you don't even know for him?" Shane questioned.

"Something wrong with that?" She asked with a glare. "You're next."

"I'm sorry." Shane mumbled.

Brooke was still fixing up her lip and she hit it in the wrong place and in return received a whimper.

"Maybe we should go." Hunter suggested.


	17. Bruises

**Bruises**

Brooke cleaned up her blonde friend and then sat across from her on the edge if the tub. Tori was looking at her, she was sitting on the toilet. Brooke smiled and then extended her hand for a high-five or handshake.

"Man you could've taken her easily." Brooke grinned.

"That's what I said."

"You were going at it pretty good, maybe they're scared of you now." Brooke laughed.

"A lot of people are." Tori replied, trying to keep a strait face.

"Not me."

Brooke stood up and helped Tori up too. They opened the bathroom door and laughed on their way out. It was a loud laugh and they showed no sign of stopping any time soon, not until Shane pointed to them. He was sitting on the couch beside the other two.

"A party?" Tori asked. "For what?"

"An intervention?" Brooke added. "For me?"

"No, it's just a room full of anxious people waiting to hear more about that girl." Shane answered.

"Seriously?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, it seemed to anger Tor and we want to find out why." Dustin stated.

"Why because she said 'Look, it's Blake's cheater' then 'Not good enough for him?' then it was 'Not here to save you now is he?' But I think I got my point across, don't you?" Tori shrugged.

"Like Bob right?" Shane asked.

"Yeah." Tori replied. "But she was easier to fight."

"Man you're tough." Hunter joked.

"Dude you don't know the half of it, in high school, she beat up this one popular girl because she was making fun of me and Shane one time." Dustin added.

"No, she started it." Tori argued.

"But you finished it." Shane smirked.

"That I did." Tori replied. "And in a matter of a few minutes, got out of that with?"

"A bloody nose." Shane grinned.

"A bruised rib." Dustin added.

"And possibly a concussion." Shane added finally.

"That would explain me not remembering that week." Tori stated.

"And you're just now telling me this?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, problem?" She glared at him.

"I always was stronger than you."

"Sir Brags-A-Lot strikes again." Brooke joked.

"Not you too." Hunter whined.

"You may be stronger but I'm smarter." Tori stated. "Always was."

"Told me earlier." Brooke joked.

"Well don't be too boastful, you can be Duchess Depression." Tori laughed.

"And Dustin?" Shane asked.

"Duke Dummy?" Brooke queried.

"No, Sir Lancelot, 'cause he saved you." Tori smiled.

"And I'm stuck with Sir No-Brains." Shane muttered.

"I saved you." Hunter retorted.

"Yeah but you brag about it." Dustin kidded. "See, I'm modest."

"Yeah, modest my butt." Tori giggled. "Sorry."

"No you're not, but since you're my friend, I'll forgive you." Dustin replied.

Tori shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Brooke laughed at the pigs and followed her, watching as Tori pulled out an apple and began to cut it up.


	18. Truth's Third Act

**Truth's Third Act**

Dustin remained silent until Brooke flopped down beside him, bringing him back to reality. She smiled and put her arm around his shoulders. Tori carried out a bowl with her apple. She set it on the coffee table and witnessed it get devoured.

"Gee thanks." She rolled her eyes and headed back out into the kitchen.

Dustin spaced out again. He couldn't get his mind off that book. The book that sat in his kitchen, waiting to be written in. He was the only one who didn't know about it and it was bugging him. Tori snapped her fingers in front of his face and then sat on the floor in front of Hunter.

"Sorry, got a lot on my mind." He stated.

"Like me?" Brooke asked.

"Kind of, I mean, don't be mad at me but, what's up with that book thing in the kitchen?" Dustin asked outright.

"It's my self conscious book, to make me feel better." Brooke answered.

"You mean you didn't know bro?" Shane asked.

"Not until last night."

"Dude, I knew about that when I left like a year ago." Shane laughed. "Where were you?"

"I didn't tell you because..."

"Because she knew that no matter what you'd always be there for her." Tori finished off the stumped friend.

"Yeah, what she said." Brooke smiled.

"So why do you write in it?" Dustin questioned.

Brooke looked at Tori, waiting for her to say something. It was Brooke's turn but she was stopped.

"It's so that we can write in it and say stuff about Brooke to make her feel better or at least not depressed." Hunter explained.

Tori sniffed the air. She let out a sneeze before Dustin could speak again then wiped her hands on her pants. Brooke held back a laugh.

"You didn't hit my forehead." Tori stated.

"I know." Brooke joked.

"What?" Shane asked.

"If you hit someone's forehead right before they sneeze, it's stops them from sneezing (this actually works)." Brooke explained.

"Yeah, do you honestly think I'd let someone hit me if it didn't work?" Tori joked.

"It would explain some things." Hunter teased.

"Burn." Dustin added.

"You know what, it's okay. Just remember, you go to sleep before me."

"Okay, burn for Tor." Dustin corrected himself.

"So I can go to work." Hunter retorted jokingly.

"I took a beating for you." Tori replied with a look of confidence. "By some girl I don't even know."

"Actually, that was Janie, you remember that surfer girl who used to be like 'Oh, I'm so much better than you' and 'I'm going to marry a rich old guy and inherit all his money when he dies 'cause I'm a slut'." Shane joked.

"Her, yeah, doesn't ring a bell, I'm sorry."

"Obviously she wasn't a very good fighter." Brooke teased.

"No, I'm just really good." Tori grinned.

Shane looked out the window and glanced around the front yard. He waited for the mysterious person to come into view but the doorbell rang and Tori ran for it, beating Shane out by a long shot. He still stood up and peered around the corner looking at Janie.

"I just wanted to apologize for today." She said.

"Okay." Tori replied.

"Sorry for not finishing you."

She threw a punch at the defenseless girl. Tori stumbled backward and tipped off Shane who immediately ran forward, knocking Janie to the ground at the bottom of the steps. Tori dashed out the door and ripped Shane off of the girl. He gave her a look and while the two were debating, Janie grabbed Tori's ankle and knocked her on her back, beating her from the ground.

"Shane?" Dustin called from the house and he barely heard it.

"Call..." Punch. "Police."

He listened to Tori and darted for the house, replying to Dustin while he picked up the phone.

Tori continued to fight for control, so far Tori had it. She fought with Janie and finally, when her opponent wasn't moving anymore, gave up and ran into the house, slamming and locking the door behind her. She was catching her breath as she walked into the living room and sat down, unaware of the red splotches on her shirt.

"Who was that?" Brooke questioned.

"A problem and I solved it." She replied with a smirk.


	19. Always Come Back

**Always Come Back**

Tori laughed a bit and sat down, on Hunter's lap. Brooke rolled her eyes and giggled a bit at the bloodied up girl.

"So that's the third person who tried to beat you up?" Dustin joked.

"Four if you count the girl from high school." Hunter added.

"No, I started that one." Tori smiled. "But I finished the rest."

"But I thought Bob and Blake-"

"Finished." Tori cut him off. "I passed out remember?"

"Here's my part." Hunter joked.

"And you wonder why your name is Sir Brags-A-Lot." Shane muttered.

"Actually I've never wondered that."

"It would've been nice if when I was little I had a few girl friends then I wouldn't be stuck with an airhead and a moron or known my ex who hit me and my current husband, life would've been good." Tori joked. "But no, I had to be neighbours with the town idiots and have the time of my life when I went out because they're so much fun, then bring in Blake, get beaten by him then his drinking buddy, talk to his brother who didn't believe it yet ended up marrying me because we love each other. Life is still pretty good."

"Great story." Brooke replied sarcastically.

"I could tell you yours. Once upon a time there was a girl named Brooke, who had a friend. He was a leprechaun who gave her money when she most needed it which led her to the North Pole in search of a pet penguin to replace the mini green guy. After the North Pole, you ran into the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus and they said that you owed them money so you were five billion dollars in debt. That journey ended with you working off your debt in a restaurant for a guy named Alex and that took you five hundred years. See, this is your sixth life, I was a mushroom in my last life." Tori laughed.

"So what was I?" Shane asked.

"A twig, you were run over with the lawnmower." Tori joked. "My mom's lawnmower."

"Where do you come up with this stuff, how about me?" Dustin asked anxiously.

"A piece of gum. Juicy Fruit to be exact which my grandpa chewed when he was fourty-three."

"Just for fun..." Hunter chuckled.

"You were..." Tori thought for a minute. "A shoelace, in an Adidas running shoe on the foot of my great-grandma when she was my age, playing basketball."

"I think you're the one who should be put in the asylum." Brooke grinned.

"I'll be your roommate." Tori retorted.

"No more drugs, please?" Hunter begged.

"O...kay." Brooke replied.

"I get it, but I thought I was mean off the drugs?" Tori asked. "Man it's been so long I don't even remember."

"A year ago?" Shane asked.

"Around then." Tori shook her head yes. "Give or take a few months, days and hours."

"Minutes, seconds and milliseconds." Brooke snuck her say in there.

"Too far." Tori stated.

"You're mean, I don't understand how anyone could love you, not even your mama that's how mean you are and ugly." Brooke teased.

"I may be mean and I may be ugly but one thing I'm not is a mama's girl." Tori retorted, ready to smile.

"Fine, daddy's girl." Brooke retorted with a grin.

"I have one of those bro." Dustin said, out of nowhere.

"Me too dude." Hunter reached over and high-fived Dustin.

"Dude, you broke up a good catfight." Shane stated with disappointment.

"I would've won." Tori patted her friend on the shoulder after saying that.

"Probably." Brooke grinned.

"But we make a better team." Tori joked. "Two is better than one."

Brooke grinned and then said, "Hoes before bros."

Tori laughed and they did a little handshake to make it look cool. Dustin chuckled along wit Hunter and Shane but the girls stopped and smiled at each other.

"Where did that come from?" Tori asked.

"TV is good." Brooke kidded.


	20. I Hate You

**I Hate You**

Brooke flopped onto the floor and winced at the thud she made, it was loud.

"Hey, do you think that I could still go out for Halloween and get candy?" Shane asked.

"Why not, besides the fact that you're like twenty-one or something like that bro, just take Kim." Dustin suggested. "I'll go with you, free candy."

"Just bring me back some chocolate." Brooke smiled.

"Count me in." Hunter joined in. "Candy."

Brooke looked at Tori and she grinned.

"What exactly are you going to be?" Tori asked.

"How about idiots, you wouldn't even have to dress up." Brooke added.

"Or guys that know the two most complicated girls on the face of the earth." Shane retorted.

"That too." Dustin considered it.

"Or we go out in our motocross gear and skateboarding stuff for you and be like extreme sports guys." Hunter suggested.

"The boys a genius." Shane remarked.

"No, he just has something you don't, it's called a brain." Tori joked.

Shane gave her an odd face and she laughed, Brooke laughed too and soon the whole room was laughing but then interrupted by one of the little girls crying.

"Mommy dearest." Shane joked. "She beckons."

"She's easier than you." Tori grinned. "That and she eats less."

"Growing boy." Shane retorted.

"For like twenty years, right, I think there's a point at which you stop growing." Brooke added.

Dustin patted his friend on the back and chuckled at the girls' victory. He held back a grin and watched the two giggling gals walk down the small hall.

"Bro, Tor always wins with Brooke to back her up." Dustin laughed.

"She doesn't need Brooke to back her up." Hunter joked.

"It's like a natural girls thing, that and PMS." Dustin stated.

"Dude." Shane whined.

"Yeah, that's a pretty bad time for guys." Hunter joked. "Dude, get out of the way."

"Actually, it's only bad because you tend to mess up a lot more during that time, it's almost like you can read my mind." Brooke interrupted the conversation and grinned in the doorframe.

"Is that time now?" Dustin asked, fearful.

"No." Brooke retorted.

Tori crept down the hallway behind Brooke, hunched over, trying to avoid being seen. Hunter eyed her and tried not to laugh. She sprang up behind Brooke and screeched. Brooke jumped three feet in the air and Tori stood there laughing.

"Hey." Brooke glared at her.

Tori didn't say a word; she just looked at Brooke with a grin. The grin soon turned into a normal expression, which turned into an innocent look. Then Tori burst out laughing.

"You are so childish." Brooke remarked.

"Yeah, so?"

"No wonder you picked him." Brooke challenged.

"I don't get it." Shane blurted out. "You two are always in competitions."

"Bro, at least you're not part of it." Dustin remarked.

"Do you feel left out?" Brooke asked with a fake cry.

"Wait, he's right, with three against two we should be working together, not competing." Tori joked.

"See bro, now they're against us." Hunter remarked.


	21. Fatherly Thinking

**Fatherly Thinking**

Tori high fived Brooke then Brooke fell back onto Dustin.

"So much for team." Shane muttered jokingly.

"Yeah well, Tor and I will be going on a...trip...this weekend." Brooke retorted.

"What?" Tori asked.

"We're going ATVing, up north a bit in the snow and forests." Brooke nodded.

"Since when?" Hunter asked.

"Now." Brooke retorted.

"How do you know Tor will say-"

"Sweet, when do we leave?" Tori cut off Shane.

"Now." Brooke lied.

"How about next week some time?" Dustin asked.

"Tomorrow?" Brooke questioned with a puppy dog face.

"I don't have to work." Tori replied.

"You never have to work." Hunter joked.

"Well you win some you lose some." She muttered.

Brooke scoffed. She touched her nose when Tori was looking, trying to make a signal but only got funny looks in return.

"So much for code." Brooke muttered.

"Unlike you, I'm normal so if you want a code, teach me the signals first."

"Hey, kind of like you and Blake when you first came to Blue Bay." Dustin stated, not stopping before the whole room fell silent.

"Dustin." Brooke swatted at him.

Tori bit her lip in agony. The memories to her burnt. They hurt everyone but not as much as her. She fell in 'love' with him then he took advantage of her. Took her for granted and now, he was gone forever. She slipped out of the room, closely followed by Hunter. Her mind was elsewhere, remembering her whole life and the little girl she now called hers. She wandered in on Katie and picked her up, holding her tight.

"Hey." Hunter broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

"He didn't mean it."

"I know he didn't but you know, it could happen to her." Tori said, looking down on the little blonde.

"Trust me on this one, if that ever happened to her, they've got me to deal with." Hunter stated.

"Will you believe her?" Tori asked with a smile starting on her face.

"I believed you didn't I?"

"Not in the beginning." Tori retorted.

"Speaking of, you didn't know it either."

"I'm not a telepath." Tori laughed.

"Right." He smirked.

She set the girl back in the crib and turned off the light.


	22. Academic Arguements

**Academic Arguments**

Dustin and Brooke sat silently as Tori walked back into the room. Shane fiddled with his thumbs and blew the air from his nose harder every time he breathed out. He did receive a whack from Brooke and then by Dustin but he kept it up. Wondering about only one thing...

"Hey, what academy are you sending Kim to?"

"Dude, try the wind." Dustin answered.

"You told her?" Tori asked from the doorway.

"My wife. Dude, I should never keep secrets from the woman who loves me." Dustin joked.

"Too bad he didn't have that same outlook." Shane stated, pointing at Hunter.

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked. "Secrets?"

"Yeah but what makes you so sure she doesn't keep secrets from you?" Tori asked.

Brooke snorted and laughed. She was right, not unlikely for Tori to be right. Her point was accepted rudely as Dustin glared at her.

"You keep secrets?" Dustin asked.

"No way." Brooke lied. "Just that fact that Kim's not yours."

Tori choked. She stared at Brooke with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Kidding." She laughed. "Gees, you're all so gullible."

"Sorry." Tori apologized.

"So...what academy are you sending Katie to?" Shane asked.

Tori smiled and stated Thunder but Hunter replied with Wind.

"Dude, she can't go to both." Dustin joked. "You know that right?"

"Boy, you're in a pickle huh?" Brooke asked. "That's what happens..."

"When what, I dare you to finish that sentence." Tori challenged her.

"I meant to say...darn...you'll work through it."

"Let's think this through logically..." Shane began.

"Logics?" Brooke questioned.

"You are daring aren't you?" Shane muttered.

"Try me." Tori smirked.

"I think we should send her to the wind place." Hunter broke the fight up.

"Why?" Dustin asked.

"Honour?"

"Why don't we put her in normal school?" Tori asked seriously.

"Yeah, so maybe she'll grow up and actually be successful." Brooke teased. "Instead of a mechanic and a girl with no job."

"Maybe she'll be a pro boxer so she can beat on you old lady." Shane teased.

Tori covered her eyes and chuckled.


	23. Sweet Ends

**Sweet Ends**

It was then that Tori realized she had the best friends in the world, a new girl who dared to do everything, a few old ones who knew her all too well and a little girl who would hopefully grow up to be nothing like her dysfunctional parents.

Dustin continued to live with Brooke until one night, they had a huge fight over Kim and Brooke left the house, and Kim, for a few days. She realized that she was so deeply in love that she couldn't spend a day without Dustin.

Shane dropped the GMX deal, noting that his friends needed more help. It was after he dropped the GMX deal that he caught someone's attention. He caught a surfer girl's attention. They fell in love, got married and moved in next door to Dustin.

Tori went back to work, as a pro surfer, leaving Katie with Shane, since he had no job at the current time; his wife was a supermodel surfer. Tori and Brooke remained friends for life, almost like sisters from another mother. It was when Tori's world turned upside down when Brooke took her away ATVing one weekend. The anniversary of Blake's suicide.

His brother, the live one, continued to work at Storm Chargers, it was a fun job, fixing stuff. Dustin was right there too, every time Hunter worked, Dustin usually did too. Hunter missed Tori that weekend; it was he who saved her.

Blake sat up on the clouds, looking down at the life he missed but he realized that if he hadn't died, Tori would've suffered until she died. It moved Blake so much, he fell off the cloud and his spirit landed in a stray dog found outside Tori's house.

The dog was taken in by Hunter and it never left either of them alone. They all had sweet ends as well as living happily ever after.


End file.
